Love  Sonnets 

Of  An  Office  Boy 


S.  E.  RISER 


-  •     • 


LOVE   SONNETS   OF   AN 
OFFICE   BOY 


Love   Sonnets   of  an 
Office   Boy 

By 

Samuel  Ellsworth  Kiser 

Illustrated    by 
John  T.   McCutcheon 


Forbes    &    Company 

Boston    and    Chicago 
1902 


Copyright,  1902 
BY  SAMUEL  ELLSWORTH  KISER 


Published    by    arrangement   with 
THE  CHICAGO  RECORD-HERALD 


Colonial  Frew:  Electrotyped  and  Printed 
by  C.  H.  Simonds  &  Co.,  Boston,  U.  S.  A. 


I. 

,  if  you  only  knowed  how  much  I  like 
To  stand  here,  when  the  "  old  man  " 
ain't  around, 
And  watch  your  soft,  white  fingers  while 

you  pound 
Away  at  them  there  keys !     Each  time  you 

strike 
It  almost  seems  to  me  as  though  you  'd 

found 

Some  way,  while  writin'  letters,  how  to  play 
Sweet  music  on  that   thing,  because   the 

sound 
Is  something  I  could  listen  to  all  day. 

You  're  twenty-five  or  six  and  I  'm  fourteen, 
And  you  don't  hardly  ever  notice  me  — 
But  when  you  do,  you  call  me  Willie  !  Gee, 

I  wisht  I  'd  bundles  of  the  old  long  green 
And  could  be  twenty-eight  or  nine  or  so, 
And  something  happened  to  your  other 
beau. 


II. 

T  HEARD  the  old  man  scoldin'  yesterday 
Because  your  spellin'  did  n't  suit  him 
quite ; 

He  said  you  'd  better  go  to  school  at  night, 
And  you  was  rattled  when  he  turned  away  ; 

You  had  to  tear  the  letter  up  and  write 
It  all  again,  and  when  nobody  seen 

I  went  and  dented  in  his  hat  for  spite  : 
That 's  what  he  got  for  treatin'  you  so  mean. 

I  wish  that  you  typewrote  for  me  and  we 
Was  far  off  on  an  island,  all  alone ; 

I  'd  fix  a  place  up  under  some  nice  tree, 

And  every  time  your  fingers  struck  a  key 
I  'd  grab   your  hands  and  hold  them  in 
my  own, 

And  any  way  you  spelt  would  do  for  me. 


III. 

T   WISH  a  fire  'd  start  up  here,  some  day, 
And  all  the  rest  would  run  away  from 
you  — 

The    boss    and    that   long-legged    book- 
keeper,  too, 

That  you  keep  smilin'  at  —  and  after  they 
Was  all  down-stairs   you  'd  holler  out  and 

say  : 
"  Won't  no  one  come  and  save  me  ?    Must 

I  choke 

And  die  alone  here  in  the  heat  and  smoke  ? 
Oh,  cowards  that  they  was  to  run  away  !  " 

And  then  I  'd  come  and  grab  you  up  and  go 
Out  through  the  hall  and  down  the  stairs, 

and  when 
I  got  you  saved  the  crowd  would  cheer, 

and  then 

They  'd  take  me  to  the  hospital,  and  so 
You  'd  come  and  stay  beside  me  there  and 

cry 
And  say  you  'd  hate  to  live  if  I  would  die. 


IV. 

V^ESTERDAY  I  stood  behind  your  chair 
When  you  was  kind  of  bendin'  down 
to  write, 
And  I  could  see  your  neck,  so  soft  and 

white, 

And  notice  where  the  poker  singed  your  hair, 
And  then  you  looked  around  and  seen  me 

there, 
And  kind  of  smiled,  and  I  could  seem  to 

feel 
A  sudden  empty,  sinkish  feelin'  where 

I  'm  all  rilled  up  when  I  Ve  just  e't  a  meal. 

Dear  Frankie,  where  your  soft,  sweet  finger 

tips 
Hit  on  the  keys  I  often  touch  my  lips, 

And  wunst  I  kissed  your  little  overshoe, 
And  I  have  got  a  hairpin  that  you  wore  — 
One  day  I  found  it  on  the  office  floor  — 

I  'd  throw  my  job  up  if  they  fired  you. 


10 


V. 

CHE  'S  got  a  dimple  in  her  chin,  and,  oh, 
How  soft  and   smooth   it  looks ;    her 
eyes  are  blue ; 
The    red    seems    always    tryin'    to    peep 

through 

The  middle  of  her  cheeks.      I  'd  like  to  go 
And  lay  my  face  up  next  to  hers  and  throw 
My  arms  around  her  neck,  with  just  us 

two 

Alone  together,  but  not  carin'  who 
Might  scold  if  they  should  see  us  actin'  so. 

If  I  would  know  that  some  poor  girl  loved 

me 

As  much  as  I  do  her,  sometimes  I  'd  take 
Her  in  my  arms  a  little  while  and  make 
Her  happy  just  for  kindness,  and  to  see 
The  pleased  look  that  acrost  her  face  'd 

break, 

And  hear  the  sighs  that  showed  how  glad 
she  'd  be. 


n 


VI. 

you  're    typewritin'    and    that 
long-legged  clerk 
Tips  back  there  on  his  chair  and  smiles 

at  you, 

And  you  look  up  and  get  to  smilin',  too, 
I  'd  like  to  go  and  give  his  chair  a  jerk 
And  send   him  flyin'  till   his   head  went 

through 
The  door  that  goes  out  to   the  hall,  and 

when 
They  picked  him  up  he  'd  be  all   black 

and  blue 
And  you  'd  be  nearly  busted  laughin'  then. 

But  if  I  done  it,  maybe  you  would  run 
And  hold  his  head  and  smooth  his  hair 

and  say 
It  made  you  sad  that  he  got  dumped  that 

way, 

And  I  'd  get  h'isted  out  for  what  I  done  — 
I  wish  that  he  'd  get  fired  and  you  'd  stay 
And  suddenly  I  'd  be  a  man  some  day. 


12 


VII. 

TF  I  was  grown  to  be  a  man,  and  you 

And  all  the  others  that  are  workin*  here 
Was  always  under  me,  and  I  could  clear 

The  place  to-morrow  if  I  wanted  to, 

I  'd  buy  an  easy  chair  all  nice  and  new 
And  get  a  bird  to  sing  above  your  head, 
And  let  you  set  and  rest  all  day,  instead 

Of  hammerin'  them  keys  the  way  you  do. 

I  'd  bounce  that  long-legged  clerk  and  then 

I  'd  raise 

Your  wages  and  move  up  my  desk  beside 
Where    you  'd    be    settin,'    restin'    there, 

and  I  'd 

Not  care  about  the  weather  —  all  the  days 
Would  make  me  glad,  and  in  the  evenings 

then 
I  'd  wish   't  was    time   to   start  to   work 

again. 


VIII. 

morning  when  that  homely,  long- 
legged  clerk 
Come  in  he  had  a  rose  he  got  somewhere ; 
He  went  and  kind  of  leaned  against  her 

chair, 

Instead  of  goin'  on  about  his  work, 
And  stood  around  and  talked  to  her  awhile, 
Because  the   boss  was   out,  —  and    both 

took  care 
To  watch  the  door ;  and  when  he  left  her 

there 
He  dropped  the  flower  with  a  sickish  smile. 

I  snuck  it  from  the  glass  of  water  she 
Had  stuck  it  in,  and  tore  it  up  and  put 
It  on  the  floor  and  smashed  it  with  my 

foot, 
When    neither    him    nor   her  was  watchin' 

me  — 

I  'd  like  to  rub  the  stem  acrost  his  nose, 
And  I  wish  they  'd  never  be  another  rose. 


16 


IX. 

VT'ESTERDAY  I  watched  you  when  you 

set 
There  with  your  little  lunch-box  in  your 

lap; 

I  seen  you  nibble  at  a  ginger  snap, 
And  wished  that  where  your  lips  had  made 

it  wet 

I  'd  have  a  chance  to  take  a  bite  and  let 
My  mouth  be  right  where  yours  was  be- 
fore ; 
And  after  you  had  got  your  apple  e't, 

And  was  n't  lookin',  I  picked  up  the  core. 

I  pressed  my  mouth  against  it  then,  and  so 
It  seemed  almost  the  same  as  kissin'  you, 
Your  teeth  had  touched  it,  and  your  red 

lips,  too, 

And  it  was  good  and  tasted  sweet,  and,  oh, 
I  wished  you  'd  bring  an  apple  every  day 
And  I  could  have  the  cores  you  'd  throw 
away. 


X. 

T  WISH,  when  you  was  through  your  work 

some  night 

And  goin'  home  alone,  and  had  your  pay 
Stuck  in  your  stockin'  —  what  you  drew 

that  day  — 

A  robber  'd  come  along  with  all  his  might 
And  you  'd  be  nearly  scared  to  death,  and 

right 
There  in  the  street  you  'd  almost  faint  and 

say  : 
"  Good  robber,  please  don't  hurt  me  — 

go  away  ! " 

And  as  he  grabbed  you  then  I  'd  come  in 
sight. 

I  wish  I  'd  be  as  strong  as  two  or  three 
Big  giants  then,  and  when  I  handed  one 
Out  to  him  he  'd  be  through,  all  in,  and 

done, 

And  then  you  'd  look  and  see  that  it  was  me, 
And,   thinkin'    of  the    great   escape   you 

had, 
You  'd  snuggle  in  my  arms  and  just  be  glad. 


18 


XL 

tTER  brother  come  this  morning  with  a 

note 
What  said  that  she  was  home  and  sick  in 

bed ; 

She  's  got  an  awful  bad  cold  in  her  head  — 

They  think  it  might  run  into  the  sore  throat, 

And  oh,  what  if  she  'd  not  come  back  again, 

And  they  would  get  some  other  girl  instead 

Of  her  to  typewrite  here,  and  she  'd  be 

dead  ? 
I  would  n't  care  no  more  for  nothin'  then. 

I  wish  I  was  the  doctor  that  they  'd  get, 
And  when  I  'd  take  her  pulse  I  'd  hold 

her  hand 

And  say  "  Poor  little  girl !  "  to  her,  and  set 
Beside  the  bed  awhile  and  kind  of  let 

My  arm  go  'round  her,  slow  and  careful, 

and 
Say,  "  Now  put  out  your  tongue  a  little,  pet." 


20 


XII. 

HE'S  back  to  work  again;   I'm   awful 

glad; 
When  she  was  sick  it  seemed  to  me  as 

though 

The  clocks  all  got  to  goin'  kind  of  slow, 

And  every  key  she  pounds  looked  kind  of  sad. 

It's  tough  to  have  to  hear  her  coughin' 

so  — 

I  wish  that  I  could  take  her  cold  and  she 
Would  know  I  took  it,  and  not  have  to 

blow 
Her  nose  no  more,  and  be  as  well  as  me. 

She  takes  some  kind  of  cough  stuff  in  a 

spoon, 

I  seen  her  lickin'  it  this  morning  when 
She  took  a  dose  and  put  it  down  again, 
And  when  the  rest  went  out  awhile  at  noon 
I  got  her  spoon  and  licked  it,  and  it  seemed 
As  though   it  all  was  something  nice   I 
dreamed. 


21 


XIII. 

T    AST  night  I  dreamed  about  her  in  my 

sleep ; 

I  thought  that  her  and  me  had  went  away 
Out  on  some  hill  where  birds  sung  'round 

all  day, 

And  I  had  got  a  job  of  herdin'  sheep. 
I  thought  that  she  had  went  along  to  keep 
Me  comp'ny,  and  we  'd  set  around   for 

hours 

Just  lovin',  and  I  'd  go  and  gather  flowers 
And  pile  them  at  her  feet,  all  in  a  heap. 

It  seemed  to  me  like  heaven,  bein'  there 
With  only  her  besides  the  sheep  and  birds, 
And  us  not  sayin'  anything  but  words 

About  the  way  we  loved.     I  would  n't  care 
To  ever  wake  again  if  I  could  still 
Dream  we  was  there  forever  on  the  hill. 


22 


XIV. 

morning  when  we  come  to  work  I 
got 
Jammed  in  the  elevator  back  of  you,  and 

there 
They  made  you  stick  your  elbow  in  me 

where 
The  mince  pie  lands ;  the  lunch  that  I  had 

brought 
Was  all  smashed  flat,  but  still  I  did  n't 

care; 
You  leaned   against  me,  for  you   could  n't 

stand 

Because  the  ones  in  front  were  crowdin',  and 
My  nose  was  pressed  deep  into  your  back 
hair. 

I  wish  we  'd  had  to  go  ten  times  as  high, 
Or  else  that  we  'd  be  shootin'  upward  yet, 
And  never  stop  no  more  until  we  'd  get 

Away  above  the  clouds  and  in  the  sky, 
And  you  'd  lean  back  forevermore  and  let 

Your  hairpins  always  jab  me  in  the  eye. 


24 


XV. 

her  and  me  were  here  alone,  at 
noon, 

And  she  had  bit  a  pickle  square  in  two, 
I   set  and  watched  and  listened    to    her 

chew, 
And  thought  how  sweet  she  was,  and  pretty 

soon 

She  happened  to  look  down  at  me  and  say : 
"  You   seem   so   sad,  poor  boy ;   what  's 

wrong  with  you  ?  " 

And  then  I  got  to  shiverin'  all  through 
And  wished  that  I  was  forty  miles  away. 

I  tried  to  think  of  some  excuse  to  make, 
But  something  seemed  all  whirly  in  my 

head, 
And  so  the  first  blame  thing  I   knew  I 

said  : 

"  It 's  nothin'  only  just  the  stummick  ache." 
Sometimes  I  almost  wisht  that  I  was  dead 
For  settin'  there  and  makin'  such  a  break. 


XVI. 

T    AST  night  I  heard  Jones  astin'  you  to 

go 

To  see  the  opery  next  Thursday  night, 
And  you  said  yes  —  and  he  '11  be  settin' 

right 
Beside    you    there   all    through   the   whole 

blamed  show, 
And    you  '11    be    touchin'    him    with    your 

elbow, 
And  mebby  he  '11  say  things  that  tickle 

you 

And  buy  a  box  of  chock'luts  for  you,  too, 
And  I  '11  not  be  around  nor  never  know. 

I  wish  I  'd  be  the  hero  on  the  stage, 

And  you   was  the  fair  maiden   that  got 

stoled, 
And  he  would  be  the  villain  that  would 

hold 

You  frettin'  like  a  song-bird  in  its  cage  — 
And  then  I  'd  come  along  and  smash  him 

one, 
And   you  'd   say :    "  Take  me,   dear,   for 

what  you  done." 

26 


XVII. 

I  was  dustin'  off  her  desk  one 
day, 
And  she  was  standin'  there,  I  took   the 

pad 
She  writes  on  when  she  gets  dictates  and 

had 

A  notion  to  tear  off  a  leaf  and  lay 
It  up  against  my  heart  at  night,  when  they 
Was  something  made  her  come  to  where 

I  stood 
And  say,  "  Poor  boy,"  as  softly  as  she 

could  — 
It  almost  seemed  to  take  my  breath  away. 

That  night  I  could  n't  sleep  at  all  becuz 
The  thoughts  about  them  words  that  she 

had  said 

Kep'  all  the  time  a-goin'  through  my  head 

With  thoughts  about  how  beautiful  she  wuz, 

And  then  I  knowed  she  loved  me,  too, 

or  she 

Would  not  of  cared  how  hard  I  worked, 
you  see. 


28 


XVIII. 

T  'D  like  to  nave  a  lock  of  her  brown  hair, 
For  that  would  be  a  part  of  her,  you 
know; 

And  if  she  'd  tie  it  with  a  little  bow 
Of  ribbon,  then  I  'd  fasten  it  somewhere 
Clear   down    inside,   next    to    my    heart,   to 

wear, 

And  fix  it  over  every  week  or  so, 
When    I    changed    undershirts,    or   maw 

she  'd  go 
And  raise  a  fuss  because  she  found  it  there. 

One  day  when  bizness  was  n't  on  the  boom 
She   trimmed   her  finger-nails,  and   one 

piece  flew 

To  where  I  was,  almost  acrost  the  room  ; 
I  watched  the  spot  where  it  went  tum- 

blin'  to, 

And  now  a  piece  of  her  is  mine ;  it  come 
Right  from  the  end  of  her  dear  little  thumb. 


29 


XIX. 

T  WISH,  some  day,  when  she  's  typewritin' 

and 

I  Ve  took  a  note  out  for  the  boss  some- 
where, 
They  'd   be  some  outlaws  sneak  in  here 

and  scare 
That  long-legged  clerk  to  death  and    then 

the  band 
Would  steal  her,  and  nobody  else  would 

dare 

To  try  to  save  her,  and  they  'd  run  away 
To  where  they  had  their  cave,  and  keep 

her  there, 
And  ast  more  for  her  than  her  folks  could  pay. 

Then  I  would  get  a  gun  and  bowie-knife 
And  take  the  name  of  Buckskin  Bob  or  Joe, 
And  track  them  to  their  den,  and  then 

I'd  go 

A-galley  whoopin'  in,  and  save  her  life, 
And  she  would  say :  "  My  hero  's  came 

at  last ! " 

And   we  'd   stand    there    and    hold   each 
other  fast. 

30 


XX. 

T    AST  night,  when  she  'd  got  on  her  coat 

and   hat 
And  felt  her  dress  behind  and  then  her 

hair, 

To  see  if  everything  was  all  right  there, 
She  stopped  and  said  :  "  Well,  now  just  look 

at  that ! " 
And  then  put  out  one  foot  a  little  bit, 

And    says  :    "  Ain't    that    provokin'  ?      I 

declare, 
The  string  's  untied  !  "     She  put  it  on  a 

chair, 
A-motionin'  for  me  to  fasten  it. 

So  then  that  long-legged   clerk  he   pushed 

me  back 
And  grabbed  the   shoe-strings  that  were 

hangin'  down  — 

I  wish  I  was  the  strongest  man  in  town  — 
Oh,  would  n't  I  of  let  him  have  a  whack  ! 
And  I  'd  of  kicked  him  so  blamed  hard 

I'll  bet 
He  'd  wonder  what  he  might  come  down 

on  yet. 

32 


XXI. 

IV/TY  darling,  often  when  you  set  and  think 
Of  things  that  seem  to  kind  of  bother 
you, 
You  put  your  pencil  in  your  mouth  and 

chew 
Around  the  wood,  and  let  your  sweet  teeth 

sink 

Down  in  it  till  it 's  all  marked  up  and  split, 
And  yesterday  I  seen  you  when  you  threw 
A  stub  away  that  you  'd  bit  up ;  it  flew 
Behind  the  bookcase,  where  I  gobbled  it. 

I  put  it  in  my  mouth,  the  way  you  'd  done, 
And  I  could  feel  the  little  holes  you  made — 
The  places  where  your  teeth  sunk  in  —  I 

laid 

My  tongue  tight  up  against  them,  every  one, 
And  shut  my  eyes,  and  then  you  seemed 

to  be 

There  with  your  lips  on  mine  and  kissin' 
me. 


33 


XXII. 

VXTHEN  I  was  tellin'  ma,  two  days  ago, 
About  our  beautiful  typewriter  girl 
She  dropped  the  dough  and  give  a  sudden 

whirl 
And  said  :  "  She  's  twic't  as  old  as  you,  you 

know  — 
She  must  be  twenty-five  or  six  or  so. 

Don't  think  about  her  any  more,  my  dear, 

And  you  and  me '11  be  always  happy  here — 

Besides,  she  's  nothing  but  an  old  scarecrow." 

It  made  me  sad  to  hear  her  talk  that  way ; 
My  darling 's  just  a  little  girl  almost  — 
I  can't  see  why  ma  give  her  such  a  roast, 

And  I  could  hardly  eat  my  lunch  next  day, 
For  every  time  I  took  a  bite  of  bread 
I  almost  hated  ma  for  what  she  said. 


34 


XXIII. 

other  day  a  rusty  pen  got  stuck 
Away  deep  in  her  finger,  and  she  held 
Her  poor,  dear  little  hand  up  then  and 

yelled 

For  me  to  hurry  over  there  and  suck 
The  poison  out,  and  when  I  went  I  struck 
My  toe  against  the  old  man's  cuspidor 
And  rolled  about  eight  feet  along  the  floor 
Before  I   knew  what  happened,  blame  the 
luck! 

When  I  set  up  and  looked  around,  at  last 
That  long-legged,  homely  clerk  was  there, 

and  so 

He  had  her  finger  in  his  mouth,  and,  oh, 
I  '11  bet  you  I  'd  'a'  kicked  him  if  I  dast ! 
I  never  seen  the  beat  the  way  things  go 
When  there  's  a  chance  for  me  to  stand  a 
show. 


XXIV. 

HP  HAT  homely  clerk  took  her  out  for  a 

ride 

Last  Sunday  in  a  buggy,  and  they  rode 
Around  all  through  the  parks  ;  I  wisht  I  'd 

knowed 

About  it,  and  the  horse  would  kind  of  shied, 
And  then  got  scared  and  run  and  kicked, 

and  I  'd 

Of  been  a  piece  ahead  and  saw  him  jump 
And    leave    her    hangin'    on    alone,    the 

chump, 
And  she  'd  of  been  so  'fraid  she  'd  nearly  died. 

Then  I  'd  of  give  a  spring  and  caught  the  bit, 
And  landed  on  the  horse's  back,  where  all 
The  people  there  could  see  me  doin'  it, 
And  when   I    got   her  saved    the  crowd 

would  call 
Three    cheers    for   me,   and   then    she  'd 

come  and  fall 
Against  my  buzzum,  and  he  'd  have  a  fit. 


XXV. 

T  DON'T  care  if  she  's  twic't  as  old  as  me, 
For  I  Ve  been  figgerin'  and  figgers 
shows 

That  I  '11  grow  older  faster  than  she  grows, 
And  when  I  'm  twenty-one  or  so,  why,  she 
Won't  be  near  twic't  as  old  as  me  no  more, 
And  then  almost  the  first  thing  that  she 

knows 
I    might    ketch   up   to  her  some  day,   I 

s'pose, 
And  both  of  us  be  gladder  than  before. 

When  I  get  whiskers  I  can  let  them  grow 
All  up  and  down  my  cheeks  and  on  my 

chin, 

And  in  a  little  while  they  might  begin 
To  make  me  look  as  old  as  her,  and  so 
She  'd    snuggle   up   to   me   and  call    me 

"  paw." 

And  then  I  'd  call  her  "  pet "  instead  of 
"  maw." 


XXVI. 

morning  when    the  boss  was    out 
somewhere 
And  when  the  clerk  was  at  the  bank  and 

me 

And  her  was  here  alone  together,  she 
Let  out  a  screech  and  jumped  up  in  the  air 
And  grabbed   her   skirts    and    yelled :    "  A 

mouse  !  "     And  there 
One  come  a-runnin'  right  at  her,  and,  gee  ! 
They  was  n't  a  blame  thing  that  I  could 

see 
To  whack  it  with,  except  an  office  chair. 

I  grabbed  one  up  and  made  a  smash  and  hit 
Her  de$k  and  broke  a  leg  clear  off  some- 
how, 
And  when  the  boss  came  back  and  looked 

at  it 
He  said  that  I  would  have  to  pay,  and 

now, 
When  ma  finds  out  I  know  just  what  I  '11 

git  — 
Next  pay-day  there  will  be  an  awful  row. 


40 


XXVII. 

TT  'S  over  now ;  the  blow  has  fell  at  last ; 
It  seems  as  though  the  sun  can't  shine 
no  more, 

And  nothing  looks  the  way  it  did  before ; 
The  glad  thoughts  that  I  used  to  think  are 

past. 
Her  desk  's  shut  up  to-day,  the  lid  's  locked 

fast; 
The  keys  where  she  typewrote  are  still ; 

her  chair 
Looks  sad  and  lonesome  standin'  empty 

there  — 
I  'd  like  to  let  the  tears  come  if  I  dast. 

This  morning  when  the   boss  come  in  he 

found 

A  letter  that  he  'd  got  from  her,  and  so 
He  read  it  over  twice  and  turned  around 
And  said :  "  The  little  fool  's  got  mar- 
ried ! "     Oh, 
It  seemed  as  if  I  'd  sink  down  through  the 

ground, 

And    never   peep    no    more  —  I   did  n't, 
though. 


XXVIII. 

HPHE  chap  's  a  beau  we  did  n't  know  she 

had, 
He  come  from  out  of  town  somewhere, 

they  say  ; 

I  hope  he  's  awful  homely,  and  that  they 
Will  fight  like  cats  and  dogs  and  both  be 

sad. 
But  still  there  's  one  thing  makes  me  kind 

of  glad  : 
The  long-legged  clerk  must  stay  and  work 

away, 
And,  though  he  keeps  pretendin'  to   be 


It  's  plain  enough  to  see  he  's  feelin'  bad. 

I  wish  when  I  'm  a  man  and  rich  and  proud, 
She  'd   see  me,  tall  and  handsome  then, 

and  be 

Blamed  sorry  that  she  did  n't  wait  for  me, 
And   that  she  'd   hear  the  people   cheerin' 

loud 
When  I  went  past,  and  down  there  in  the 

crowd 
I  'd  see  her  lookin'  at  me  sorrowf'ly. 

42 


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